Comments on: animal grammar

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:25:00 +0000

@Midge: I would say, “they have a dog that requires assistance…” since I use who to refer to people.

By: Midge

Midge — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:58:23 +0000

If I say, they have a dog WHO requires assistance outside to potty, is that correct, or is it WHICH requires…(for a legal contract for assisted living help). Thanks!

By: dan

dan — Thu, 27 Mar 2003 16:22:20 +0000

Thanks for the info sean.

Now I’m curious about the etymology of other pig meat, like ham and bacon.

By: sean

sean — Thu, 27 Mar 2003 14:57:57 +0000

Ever notice how some meats have different names than the animal they came from? Ever notice how that’s just about never the case in other languages? Here’s why..

While the Normans occupied England, they kept the English pretty much poor and opressed, while they lived the good life. The poor for the most part could not afford fancy meats and such and had to subside on bread and other cheap stuff. To make money though, most resorted to farming, including livestock.

Thus…while the English were farming it, it was a pig. But when they killed it and served it up for a norman to eat, it became pork (porc is the french word for pig). Same with cow / beef; calf / veal, etc. etc.

By: Levi

Levi — Wed, 26 Mar 2003 19:01:12 +0000

Apparently the band Flock of Seagulls should have been called Colony of Seagulls. Ornithologists must be freaks to have come up with that many different names for groups of birds. I will continue to call groups of birds ‘flocks’ or ‘bunches’ or whatever I feel like at the moment. Those names are just silly.